Dr. Appt.

Well Maxton had his appt. today with the specialist and it went really well... She hasn't been the best doctor at explaining what is going on but today she spent a lot of time with us and explained everything really well. She said if we want to get a second opinion at one of the vascular malformation speciality clinics in like Boston or Denver she would be happy to have someone else look at him she knows a lot of the Doctors and would be happy to give us a referral, but first we have decided to go ahead with the MRI of his Right Arm and Chest. This will tell us the degree of the malformation as well as the area it is located. So we are waiting to hear when that will be scheduled for probably in a few weeks.. There is not really a cure for this the last resort would be surgery but that would only happen if it was causing him constant pain or preventing growth in that arm. Anyway that is all for today.. Kids are all finally getting back to normal!!!

update

Everyone here seems to be doing better today. They are still coughing and having a runny nose, but no fever for about 3 days or so. Mallory will finally return back to school tom. and we have all her homework caught up. Maxton will see the specialist tom. and we will determine when the MRI will be scheduled for. As it turns out if they were to scan everything that they thought needed to be scanned in one whack it would take 3 hours which means my little baby would be under general anesthesia for 3 hours, which is just to long for something that we don't even know is necessary.. So tom. after our 1:30 appt. with Dr.Knopper we will hopefully have a game plan as to what we will do and when.. Update to follow tom. or Tues.

Pictures of the kids flop.....

I have had this idea in my head for a long time to take pictures of the kids from up on the cat walk, but apparently you need more than one person to make it happen and since Clint thought it was a stupid idea he was no help.. gonna have to try this again as I think the pictures would be really cute if I had another set of hands helping me!! oh and maybe a better camera....

Update

Finally broke down and took Mallory,Maxton and Cavin to the doc this a.m... Mallory has croup and it is pretty bad she has been down since Monday afternoon and finally today actually ate a sandwich and a banana! Cavin tested positive for influenza and they believe that is also Maxton's problem but no reason to test him as they can't give him the tamiflu like Cavin.. So that is where we are right now.. Hopefully on the mend!! I think this is what Mason,Clint and Carter have already had so I guess I'm the only one left.. keeping my fingers crossed that I don't get it!!! No news on the MRI for Maxton yet as the doctors haven't made contact yet, but I will post when we finally get a date!!

Here We go Again... Will it ever end?

Well here we go again... Sick people amongst us..... Mallory was sent home from school on Monday with a low grade temp. We thought she was acting kinda strange on Sat. and Sun but she said she was fine. guess not. She has been in bed since coming home with a low grade temp and a nasty croupy cough this morning she says she can't breath so guess we are making a trip to the Dr. this afternoon. That is always fun trying to figure out when I have enough time to get to the Doc and back before I need to pick up someone from school?? oh the joys of having lots of kids... Cavin was up all night with a fever, Maxton's nose is soooooooooooo green and gross and he also has a cough and Carter has a runny nose and cough. Clint and Mason already had it so they should be fine, but good old Mom has not??? I got an email from my grandpa yesterday and sounds like he has been hit with the nasty influenza and he is just miserable.. Can spring just come already cause I think I speak for everyone when I say I am sick of everyone being SICK!! Well gotta go pick up Mason. Update later.

Easter 2008

Maxton at the easter egg hunt.. Everytime I get the camera out now he gets this "cheeseball" face going so cute!!!
Carter hunting eggs at the Easter egg hunt.. All the kids had a blast and Cavin even found a prize egg.. He won an elmo doll!! He was so excited!
Can you find Clint and all the kids in this picture from the Easter egg hunt?
All the kids Easter morning with their baskets.. I think they got more excited about their Easter baskets than they did xmas morning after Santa had come!!!
Maxton and Mallory just hanging out!! Grandma Schell and PaPa Don came to visit today and we had a wonderful time eating,playing games and finding easter eggs!!! It is back to school tomorrow, the kids are not happy about this as they have been having fun sleeping in staying up late, and playing with Daddy while he was on vacation.. I don't know what I will do tom. when Clint goes back to work and the older kids back to school??? Back to the grind for all of us..

What a Surprise!!

Today I got a delivery from the floral shop.. I was so shocked I almost cried.. Clint hasn't gotten me roses since our 1 year anniversary.. He hates to spend money on something that just "dies" they are so beautiful and smell sooooooooo good.. There are 9 one for every year we have been married and the card was sweet too..

We Made it!!!!

Clint and I made it another year..... It is our 9 year wedding anniversary.. Who would have thought that those crazy high school sweethearts would be happily(on most days) married with 5 beautiful(naughty,high energy,crazy) kids?? We are not doing anything special this year unless you count breaking up fights and painting Mallory's bedroom special? We have gone to Branson the last couple of years and left the kids with grandparents,but this year Maxton is still "to little" to be left.. We are planing to take the cruise that Clint won(from being Employee of the Year) at the end of May when the kiddo's get out of school. We will see because I know Grandma is already getting booked up for the summer. Clint's older brothers and their wives are planning trips for their 10 year and 5 year anniversaries so Grandma is in high demand for the upcoming summer months!! I am sure we will squeeze in somewhere! Anyway have a wonderful first day of SPRING!! It is going to be gorgeous!!!

Laundry

Okay I just had to vent alittle about the laundry situation in this house... It is out of control. I swear these people wear like 5 outfits a day... I am posting pictures of the laundry from just 3 days.. I wish somebody could tell me how to teach the kids that just because they use a towel once it is not dirty or how if they put on a pair of pj's right before bed after bath and sleep in them they are not dirty the next morning....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. i think it is pure laziness... I now know what my mom went through and I can appreciate it a lot more.. It is not just the laundry, but the constant dirty bathrooms, never ending dishes, dirty floors and toys lots and lots of toys... anyway that is my grip for the day.. so I am off to do what I swear I do every minute of every day... CLEAN HOUSE

Cavin

cavin gives a thumbs up!!!!

Carter after his haircut

clint gave carter a haircut last week and these pictures I took afterwards as you can see he was acting pretty silly... to bad he cried the entire time it was taking place.. Clint cuts the boys hair in the bathtub and it takes quit awhile and well carter hates it!! maybe that is why we let him grow his hair out a few months back just so we didn't have to hear him fuss while he got his monthly haircut... hmmmm thinking of letting it grow again :)

Maxton's Check Up

Maxton had his 9 month check up today.. He weighed in at 20lb 7oz.. I have no idea his length or percentile on the growth chart because I didn't ask silly me and they didn't give me my usual hand out? I will have to call and have them give it to me.. Anyway Dr.Williamson has decided it is time to proceed with the MRI of his right arm,right leg and back. For those of you that don't know ever since Maxton started crawling he drags his right leg and when he pulls up he always leads with his left leg. This is of concern as the birthmark is under his right armpit and all the weird blood clots form on his right arm and hand. So when we get they scheduled I will let everyone know. After that is done there is talk of us going to the Children's Hospital in Denver? We will see what happens....

Leaving you with these picture of Maxton's new favorite snack... yes that is a whole apple and he loves it!!!!

oh my goodness. how sweet

how Cute is this??? Maxton's picture from right after he was born!!! oh my sweet baby??

New Pictures

Carter's First Day of Preschool!! He loves it!!
Maxton had mastered going up the stairs.. He thinks he is big stuff..
I took these pictures at the top of the stairs on March 13th he is 9months old today!! I can't believe it seems like he should still be a newborn baby?? where does time go? Guess time flies when your having FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Daddy's BOYS!!

Found these aren't they cute??

This is from Sept. 2007 isn't Maxton adorable?? Wow he grew fast!!
Mallory and Mason 1st Day of school 2007 -2008 School Year!!
Mason and Maxton August 2007
Daddy with the "little" boys August 2007.. Notice Carters black eye and Cavin's scuffed up nose?? Boys it is only going to get worse I fear!!!

Made it!!!

WE made it!! Maxton stayed well and he had his ear tubes put in this morning at Children's Mercy!! The Dr. said that he already had a lot of scare tissue built up from recurrent infections and there was some fluid behind the drum. He did well they took him back at 8:20 and we got to see him at 8:46.. He was pretty mad, but after about 10mins with Clint and I talking to him and rocking he calmed down! By the time we got home he was ready to play with his brothers he took his usual nap and woke up happy and hungry!!